Biorefinery approaches to creating value from Asparagopsis

Funded Activity Summary

The project will provide a 'blueprint' for utilization of Asparogopsis. The created ‘blueprint’ will be based on production and utilization of individual components (e.g. bromoform, bioactive polysaccharides or protein) and their potential markets. The project will also provide a product flow diagram based on a biorefinery approach, that shows processes and equipment required to provide a range of bioproducts from a single Asparogopsis biomass. The 'blueprint' will consist of flow diagrams and tables for production of multiple bioproducts out of a single biomass. The ‘blueprint’ will also contain information on bioprocessing methodology and equipment required for biomanufacturing of multiple bioproducts from Asparogopsis. This project will create ‘blueprints’ for both Asparagopsis taxiformis (tropical) and Asparagopsis armata (temperate) at both gametophyte and tetraporophyte life stages. This information will eventually be added to a Marine Bioproducts database of existing pilot and manufacturing scale bioprocessing capability that could be applied to developing bioproducts based on the 'blueprint.' This database component is not a part of the current project.

Objectives:
1. Provide a literature review of potential bioproducts from Asparagopsis, including specific component products and potential markets.
2. Carry out proximate and compositional analysis of four different Asparagopsis materials and compare compositional differences amongst the two species and two life stages.
3. Carry out lab and selected pilot scale biorefinery bioprocessing of the representative Asparagopsis input materials and create a flow-chart including mass balance for each bioproduct output material.
4. Analyses the quality (purity and composition) of each bioproduct fraction produced through laboratory and pilot scale bioprocessing.
5. Convert the bioprocessing information into a 'blueprint' that includes mass balance, fraction composition information, equipment impact on bioproduct quality, which provides a starting bioprocessing strategy for obtaining maximal value from the Asparogopsis input material.
6. Process a ‘blueprint’ report that is available to all stakeholders.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 10-06-2024

End Date: 01-02-2025

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $125,000.00

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Emissions Reduction | Seaweed

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